


the quiet sense of something lost

by orphan_account



Category: Animorphs - Katherine A. Applegate
Genre: F/F, Shopping, Trauma, War
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-24
Updated: 2013-10-24
Packaged: 2017-12-30 08:13:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,815
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1016227
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>War is hell, but at least they have each other.</p>
            </blockquote>





	the quiet sense of something lost

**Author's Note:**

  * For [shobogan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/shobogan/gifts).



> I hope you enjoy this fic, and thank you for giving me the opportunity to write for a pairing I would never have considered otherwise.

<Behind you!>

Rachel whirs about just in time to swing a powerful bear paw at the Taxxon bearing down on her. Its thin skin practically explodes under the assault and its innards spew everywhere. The other Taxxons are distracted long enough for Cassie to bear down on them. Her jaws tear off a chunk of its skin.

The cannibalistic frenzy that ensues is the stuff of nightmares, but it's also an opening to let the two Animorphs retreat to safety. There will be no victory this day.

⁂

At fourteen, having a sleepover feels childishly quaint. Past the age of twelve, nobody actually has sleepovers; they're just called "staying over with a friend" from that point on. But Cassie insists on calling it a sleepover, no matter how much Rachel protests, and so a sleepover Rachel supposes it is.

The important part is that neither of them is alone after the battle they just survived.

Rachel sits on the sleeping bag on the floor of Cassie's room, waiting for her nails to dry, as Cassie sits behind her braiding her hair. Neither of them is willing to discuss what transpired less than an hour earlier, so they occupy their minds with more mundane matters.

"I cannot believe you got me to braid your hair," Cassie grumbles.

"Soon, Cass. Soon you'll be one of _us_ ," Rachel replies with a forced grin.

"And just who is 'us'?" The reply comes uneasily. Despite knowing better, an image of a murky pond filled with slug-like aliens flashes across Cassie's mind.

"The fashion-conscious. I've infected you with the fashion bug. Or given you the kiss of bad-fashion death."

"Kiss?" Cassie raises an eyebrow.

"It's a metaphor," Rachel sighs.

It takes Cassie a moment to reply, but finally she says, "Yeah, I know."

They sit in silence. Cassie braids.

⁂

Cassie's dreams are tinted blood-red. It's nothing new, but when she wakes up she finds that she somehow relocated herself from her bed to the floor.

She's curled up against Rachel, and Rachel has her arms around her.

It's almost enough to soothe her mind. Almost.

⁂

"No. No. No. No." The pile on the floor grows and grows as Rachel tosses item after item of clothing onto it from the dresser. "Ugh, Cassie, you know overalls were _never_ in, right?"

"Yeah, I know." Cassie lies sprawled on her bed, watching Rachel with a slight smile on her lips. Usually she finds this irritating, but hey, sometimes one just has to give up and appreciate the absurdist humor in it all. "You tell me that practically once a week. If not more."

"I wouldn't have to repeat myself so often if you'd listen once in a while. Ugh!" Rachel slams the drawer shut and opens the next one down. Her eyes widen and her voice takes on a horrified tone. "No, Cassie. No. Really?"

"What?" Cassie blinks, and horror courses through her as she realizes Rachel opened her underwear drawer. "Rachel!"

"Granny panties?! Are you kidding me?!" The blonde grabs one of the offending garments, holds it up in both hands and stares in what seems to be disbelief. In an instant, Cassie is on her feet snatching them away from her.

"They're _comfortable_ , okay?" She tosses them back into the drawer and shuts it. "Sheesh. The overalls are one thing, but you really need to lay off. What kind of panties I wear are none of your concern, girl."

"That's where you're wrong. They are a _huge_ concern. They might even be the most pressing issue of all." Pure earnestness fills Rachel's wide eyes. "See, what you wear on the outside is on display for the entire world, but the _underwear_ you wear is like a representation of your very inner soul, Cassie. It's something near and dear to you, and you can't just... Granny panties! Augh!" She turns away, throwing her hands in the air.

Cassie laughs uncomfortably. "So in other words, you're direly upset about my panties. If I didn't know any better..."

"Whoa, whoa, no." Rachel turns back to Cassie. Her face is a shade of crimson Cassie has never seen on Rachel before. She chooses not to comment, because her own cheeks are uncomfortably warm as well. "That's not what this is. What this _is_ , is a fashion emergency. We are going to the mall, stat."

⁂

Cassie's never been a big fan of the mall, but when she goes with Rachel, it can be fun. Sometimes. She can't understand the appeal of window-shopping, but some of the stores sell things that are actually useful, and they're interesting to browse on occasion. She even gets to spend a few minutes hassling the pet store employees about their financial support of puppy mills before Rachel drags her down to Banana Republic.

"I will never be able to get past the fact that a term referring to a type of corrupt government got reappropriated for an upscale clothing store," Cassie remarks.

"Okay, but have you seen these adorable sweaters? They're twenty percent off!"

Cassie lets Rachel do her thing. She's happiest when picking out clothing; it's sort of fascinating to watch, from an anthropological standpoint, and it's a welcome change from their outing the night before.

"Pink or yellow?"

" _Either_. Honestly, I don't care." Cassie laughs.

"Both, then." Rachel throws item after item over her arm. Even the cumulative weight of dozens of shirts and skirts doesn't seem to weigh her down as she continues to browse the racks.

"Um, you said you were going to pay for whatever I picked," Cassie reminds her. "Maybe you should slow down a little?"

Rachel scoffs. "I'm not going to be buying _all_ of them. We'll go into the dressing room and see which ones look best."

After several more minutes of scavenging, Rachel leads the way to the row of changing rooms. Cassie pushes a door open, pausing when Rachel coughs and leads the way down the row to another.

She shoots Rachel a quizzical look; Rachel leans against her and mutters, "Pool entrance in that stall."

Which wouldn't change its functionality, but Cassie is totally on-board with using this other, Yeerk-free stall instead.

⁂

"I look ridiculous."

"You look adorable."

"I really don't think so. I'm changing back."

"No!" The glower on Rachel's face is unmistakeable. "You're changing into _this_. Here." She holds out a pair of stylish blue jeans and a black t-shirt.

Cassie eyes the shirt warily. "There's no way that thing's gonna fit me."

"Sure it will. It's supposed to be a tight fit."

"Nuh-uh." Cassie waves it away. "Pick something else."

"Just try it on. You don't have to get it. C'mon, please?"

When Rachel makes those eyes -- not exactly puppy-dog eyes; more like addicted shopaholic in need of a fix eyes -- it's very difficult to say no. Cassie sighs and takes the clothes into the stall.

⁂

They sit together in the food court for lunch, Cassie choosing Chinese food and Rachel partaking of Subway. 

Cassie has to push her food aside before she's even halfway finished with it, though, as a memory of digging her teeth into a Taxxon's hide the night before suddenly surfaces.

She rests a hand on the table, starting in surprise as it brushes against one of Rachel's. She glances up, and Rachel isn't eating her lunch either.

"I guess this could have gone way worse," Cassie concedes after a long pause.

"Told you." Rachel tries to grin.

⁂

Cassie is careful not to look at Rachel as they start for home. They don't talk; they just walk together, hands brushing together every so often.

Rachel finally breaks the silence as they reach the bus stop. "Is it ever exciting for you?"

"No." Cassie laughs easily. "That was easily the most boring two hours I have ever spent in my entire life."

"I don't mean shopping." She stares up into the deep blue sky. "I mean stuff like what happened last night. When we were going at those Taxxons I was just like, yeah! All right! Let's do it!"

"That's you all the time, though." Cassie's tone is cautious. She's not really sure where Rachel is going with this.

"I know. That's just it. That's kind of screwed up, isn't it?"

Cassie is silent for a moment, but then she reaches out and takes Rachel's hand. "Yeah, but so's everything else about our lives."

She can feel the muscles in Rachel's arm relax. "Yeah, I guess so."

⁂

The elephant lies on her side, veritable rivers of blood pouring out of the gash in her stomach. Cassie kneels by her head. She can't stop herself from crying, but she tries to remain stable.

Demorphing in this dead-end hallway is a terrible idea, but there's no other option. Jake and Marco should still be fighting, so they should be able to keep the enemy away for now; and Ax is keeping watch at the other end of the hall, so he should be able to warn them if, well, if that fails.

"Rachel. Rachel, come on, demorph." One brown hand rests on a wrinkled grey cheek. "I know you're in there, girl, just demorph and you'll be fine."

The elephant groans. Finally, though, Rachel's thought-speak fills Cassie's mind, washing over her like water breaking over sand. <Ha ha. Whoa. This is wild. Wow, hi there.> It sounds weak, though. She's probably delirious from the blood loss.

"No, it's not wild. _Listen to me._ " Cassie hisses a little more harshly than she means to, but whatever gets the message across... "You're dying, Rachel. You have to demorph!"

<Can't.>

"Yes you can! Focus!" Rachel doesn't respond; in fact, she starts breathing more slowly now, more raggedly, so Cassie presses on. "Just picture yourself and let it happen. You're Rachel. You're human. You're tall and blonde and beautiful, and--"

<Hm?> Her thought-speak comes out tiredly. Like she's not even aware she's saying anything.

"I don't know what we'd do without you," Cassie finishes in a whisper. "You can't keep fighting if you die, Rachel. You can do this. Come on."

The elephant lets out a shuddering groan. <If I do will you quit nagging me?>

Cassie smiles tearfully as Rachel slowly shrinks, turns pink, resumes her lithe human shape. Even before the process is complete she gathers Rachel up in her arms and holds her close.

"Don't do that again."

"Not planning on it." Rachel returns the embrace.

Cassie pulls away just barely, enough to stare into Rachel's eyes. She leans in barely and Rachel's eyes widen in surprise, but she leans in too.

<Rachel? Cassie? You two okay? We could really use you out here!>

Startled, they pull away from one another.

"We should probably..." Cassie trails off.

"Yeah. Kill some Yeerks."

"Yeah." Cassie pauses awkwardly before climbing to her feet and reaching a hand down to Rachel. "...Let's do it."

Rachel grins.

They make it out alive this time.


End file.
